Disclosed is an invention in the field of automated food preparation. The present invention particularly relates to a system and method to prepare food items by automatically placing food items on a food preparation surface utilizing a multi-axis robot. Upon loading predetermined coordinates into a computing device, a computer program calculates the instructs the robot via a controller to load the required food items via one or more food ingredient dispensing heads automatically.

Disclosed is an invention in the field of automated food preparation. The present invention particularly relates to a system and method to prepare food items by automatically placing food items on a food preparation surface utilizing a multi-axis robot. Upon loading predetermined coordinates into a computing device, a computer program calculates the instructs the robot via a controller to load the required food items via one or more food ingredient dispensing heads automatically.

The present specification relates to a dough line for processing dough, specifically sheeted dough, having a conveyor, for conveying the dough, a sensor, for detecting the beginning of a dough piece at a detection point in the dough line, a controllable flour sifter, arranged above the conveyor, for depositing flour on the conveyor or on dough on the conveyor, a controller, for controlling the amount of flour deposited by the flour sifter based on the sensor signal, wherein the controller is configured for disabling the flour sifter when there is no dough piece on or to be placed on the conveyor at the location of the flour sifter, enabling the flour sifter to deposit a first amount of flour per amount of displacement of the conveyor when there is a dough piece on or to be placed on the conveyor at the location of the flour sifter.

The present specification relates to a dough line for processing dough, specifically sheeted dough, having a conveyor, for conveying the dough, a sensor, for detecting the beginning of a dough piece at a detection point in the dough line, a controllable flour sifter, arranged above the conveyor, for depositing flour on the conveyor or on dough on the conveyor, a controller, for controlling the amount of flour deposited by the flour sifter based on the sensor signal, wherein the controller is configured for disabling the flour sifter when there is no dough piece on or to be placed on the conveyor at the location of the flour sifter, enabling the flour sifter to deposit a first amount of flour per amount of displacement of the conveyor when there is a dough piece on or to be placed on the conveyor at the location of the flour sifter.

A system includes a first topping module with a first hopper holding a first topping sample of a first topping type and a first blade to cut a first topping serving. A second topping module includes a second hopper holding a second topping sample of a second topping type and a second blade to cut a second topping serving. A conveyor moves a topping vehicle between a first position below the first hopper and a second position below the second hopper. An order specifies the first topping type and the second topping type. An actuator system moves the first blade to cut the first topping serving according to the order to dispense the first topping serving onto the topping vehicle. The actuator system moves the second blade to cut the second topping serving according to the order to dispense the first topping serving onto the topping vehicle.

A system includes a first topping module with a first hopper holding a first topping sample of a first topping type and a first blade to cut a first topping serving. A second topping module includes a second hopper holding a second topping sample of a second topping type and a second blade to cut a second topping serving. A conveyor moves a topping vehicle between a first position below the first hopper and a second position below the second hopper. An order specifies the first topping type and the second topping type. An actuator system moves the first blade to cut the first topping serving according to the order to dispense the first topping serving onto the topping vehicle. The actuator system moves the second blade to cut the second topping serving according to the order to dispense the first topping serving onto the topping vehicle.

An apparatus is provided for assembling a pizza, including a pizza sauce spreading station, a cheese spreading station and a pepperoni applying station. A robot including a stationary base and an articulating arm having a gripper attached to the end is operable to grip a pizza pan having pizza dough therein to allow said robot to move the pan throughout the pizza sauce spreading station, and to a rotary dial system including the cheese spreading station and the pepperoni applying station. The robot arm manipulates the pizza pan in the sauce spreading station and the rotary dial system manipulates the pizza pan in the cheese station and the pepperoni applying station to properly distribute the cheese and pepperoni on the pizza.

An apparatus is provided for assembling a pizza, including a pizza sauce spreading station, a cheese spreading station and a pepperoni applying station. A robot including a stationary base and an articulating arm having a gripper attached to the end is operable to grip a pizza pan having pizza dough therein to allow said robot to move the pan throughout the pizza sauce spreading station, and to a rotary dial system including the cheese spreading station and the pepperoni applying station. The robot arm manipulates the pizza pan in the sauce spreading station and the rotary dial system manipulates the pizza pan in the cheese station and the pepperoni applying station to properly distribute the cheese and pepperoni on the pizza.

A device for forming a sheeted dough from a dough piece, which includes: (i) a lower tray arranged so as to support the dough piece during a forming operation, (ii) an upper tray, and (iii) a forming actuator arranged so as to move the upper plate in relation to the lower plate, in such a way as to be able to press the dough piece between the lower tray and the upper tray in order to form a sheeted dough, the lower tray containing a system of mobile ejectors that can assume a so-called retracted position in such a way as to form, overall, a continuous surface with the lower tray, and a so-called raised position in such a way as to form a raised surface in relation to the lower tray.

A system for handling culinary preparations, which includes: a mounting (I) including an upper surface arranged to receive a culinary preparation, and a plurality of feedthroughs extending between the upper surface and a lower surface; a transfer device including a plurality of projecting portions; a relative movement system being arranged to position the system in a low position, in which no projecting portion projects relative to the upper surface of the mounting, and a high position, in which one end of at least one projecting portion is made to project through the feedthroughs, relative to the upper surface of the mounting; and a handling tool including oblong elements arranged to be inserted between projecting portions.